Partygoers are being warned against wearing spooky contact lenses this Halloween after a woman from south Wales was taken to hospital with a serious eye infection.

Eye specialists say there has been a rise in illegal coloured contact lenses being sold online, in joke shops, and at market stalls which could cause serious infections or even blindness.

Legally contact lenses should only be sold under the supervision of a registered optician or doctor who can check they will not cause damage.

Trading Standards officers prosecuted two Cardiff -based traders last year after they were caught selling “zero-powered” contact lenses.

A spokesman said: “The prosecutions came about as a result of a complaint from a member of the public who had purchased the product for a Halloween fancy dress party and contracted a serious eye infection that required hospital treatment.

“This year all premises in Bridgend , Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan selling zero-powered contact lenses have been advised by Trading Standards not to sell the product unless a registered medical practitioner, a registered optometrist, or a registered dispensing optician is on the premises to supervise the sale.

“Any premises that have received advice found to be in breach of the legislation will be investigated and formal action may be taken against them.”

Contact lenses should only be sold under the supervision of a registered optician or doctor

Read More

David O’Sullivan, chief optometric adviser for the Welsh Government , said: “Although rare, eye infections linked to wearing cosmetic contact lenses can be serious and in extreme cases can result in sight loss.

“The risk is reduced when contact lenses are bought and worn safely.

“We urge anyone thinking of wearing spooky lenses this Halloween to buy them only from a registered optician or doctor and to follow professional advice about how to wear and care for lenses safely.”

Mr Badrul Hussain, consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London, said children under the age of 16 have been treated for eye problems after wearing these lenses.

He said: “Some of the cases we see, like patients sharing lenses with friends, wearing the same pair year after year well past the expiry date, and storing them in tap water, have devastating effects.

“Most of the patients haven’t been shown how to look after their cosmetic lenses or their eyes properly. Not knowing the basics of using contact lenses safely can put you at higher risk of developing painful eye injuries, infections, and, in the worst cases, risk of permanent sight loss.

“The cornea, the clear window at the front of the eye, is delicate and can be scratched easily by inexperienced contact lens wearers.

“This can expose the eye to organisms that can cause nasty infections, which in extreme cases can result in permanently impaired, or loss of, vision.”